A lesson in flying
I hope this entry finds everyone well and good. I haven't written, well, because of a variety of things, but hopefully my blogs in the near future will make up for my lack of dedication to this craft. I wrote some of this on a plane back from a great week in Kansas.
Man, oh man what a week. As some of you know and others have guessed, I have had a bit of a life shift with the advent of a car. Funny how things change, but they really do. But before I go into the rest of my life, I really need to write down the experiences I have had with my family over the last week. I can vouch with confidence the amazing spiritual legacy my family really has.
To begin: A couple of weeks ago I told you that I was going to Kansas City. Technically, that wasn’t true, as that wasn’t my final destination. I worked it out with my work to take a little bit of a leave of absence (unpaid, but that’s alright. I’m used to poverty.) I was really excited to see my family, as many of my extended family members I hadn’t seen for 6-8 years. The difference between an unsure 16 year old and a creaky 23 year old does make a difference in how one is able to approach going to these sort of things.
As I was needed on the Monday before July 4th, I worked a long day so that my boss wouldn’t have a wreck of an office to inherit. I’m still a bit apprehensive to see what I will be walking into on Monday, but I’m confident job security will be better than ever. That night I went to a friend’s going away party (She was supposed to have gone to Nigeria, but I just heard she had a reaction to some anti-malarial medicine and was unable to go. Very sad, but maybe God can use this for good.). I quickly packed after the party, and realized that I didn’t have my roomate’s phone number who was to take me to the airport. Minor panic, but fortunately he remembered and came home in time to get me to my red-eye flight at 12:30.
For those of you who have never gone through a red-eye, it’s a bit difficult to do with 2 layovers. I actually traveled 1100 miles more on the way there than I did on the way back. Not exactly the most direct route. I got into Minneapolis at 5:30; got into Cincinnati at 9:30; then backtracked to Kansas City and met my family there at about 10:45. Needless to say, I was a little out of it. I tried to get some sleep, but airplanes aren't exactly built to my dimensions. Unless you're willing to pay for first class, it's pretty much a cramped little seat with no room to stretch. There are three consolations in my mind that make flying worth it.
First, for anyone who loves acceleration, the pull of gravity as those jet engines enage on the tarmac is fantastic! Talk about a fun thing to drive...serious torque. Second, that little double-paned window looking into the void of air unveils a world that I feel privileged to be able to see. Similarly to reaching to the top of a great mountain, the world is at your feet. Whether it's a field of twinkling lights glowing brightly in the dark, the rugged mountaintops capped with snow showing their secrets, or the wild shapes of clouds and the utter calm above the clouds, or merely the vast plains of America; flying in a plane really does open up your eyes to how great our Creator really is. Finally, the difference between a 34 hour drive and a 6 hour flight makes a difference in how much you can travel. I just think about the pioneers who had to endure the numbing length of travel that could last for days.
As you can see, I didn't even really make it to the time I spent with my family, but that will come! Until Later,
Man, oh man what a week. As some of you know and others have guessed, I have had a bit of a life shift with the advent of a car. Funny how things change, but they really do. But before I go into the rest of my life, I really need to write down the experiences I have had with my family over the last week. I can vouch with confidence the amazing spiritual legacy my family really has.
To begin: A couple of weeks ago I told you that I was going to Kansas City. Technically, that wasn’t true, as that wasn’t my final destination. I worked it out with my work to take a little bit of a leave of absence (unpaid, but that’s alright. I’m used to poverty.) I was really excited to see my family, as many of my extended family members I hadn’t seen for 6-8 years. The difference between an unsure 16 year old and a creaky 23 year old does make a difference in how one is able to approach going to these sort of things.
As I was needed on the Monday before July 4th, I worked a long day so that my boss wouldn’t have a wreck of an office to inherit. I’m still a bit apprehensive to see what I will be walking into on Monday, but I’m confident job security will be better than ever. That night I went to a friend’s going away party (She was supposed to have gone to Nigeria, but I just heard she had a reaction to some anti-malarial medicine and was unable to go. Very sad, but maybe God can use this for good.). I quickly packed after the party, and realized that I didn’t have my roomate’s phone number who was to take me to the airport. Minor panic, but fortunately he remembered and came home in time to get me to my red-eye flight at 12:30.
For those of you who have never gone through a red-eye, it’s a bit difficult to do with 2 layovers. I actually traveled 1100 miles more on the way there than I did on the way back. Not exactly the most direct route. I got into Minneapolis at 5:30; got into Cincinnati at 9:30; then backtracked to Kansas City and met my family there at about 10:45. Needless to say, I was a little out of it. I tried to get some sleep, but airplanes aren't exactly built to my dimensions. Unless you're willing to pay for first class, it's pretty much a cramped little seat with no room to stretch. There are three consolations in my mind that make flying worth it.
First, for anyone who loves acceleration, the pull of gravity as those jet engines enage on the tarmac is fantastic! Talk about a fun thing to drive...serious torque. Second, that little double-paned window looking into the void of air unveils a world that I feel privileged to be able to see. Similarly to reaching to the top of a great mountain, the world is at your feet. Whether it's a field of twinkling lights glowing brightly in the dark, the rugged mountaintops capped with snow showing their secrets, or the wild shapes of clouds and the utter calm above the clouds, or merely the vast plains of America; flying in a plane really does open up your eyes to how great our Creator really is. Finally, the difference between a 34 hour drive and a 6 hour flight makes a difference in how much you can travel. I just think about the pioneers who had to endure the numbing length of travel that could last for days.
As you can see, I didn't even really make it to the time I spent with my family, but that will come! Until Later,